I was never really sure what to make of Shadow at the end of the game. I know the thought that he was commiting suicide never crossed my mind when I first played through the game. And then I saw the message board posts describing otherwise. Playing again with this in mind, I could understand why people felt that way. But I still don't fully believe it. Unless his speech just isn't translated quite right, he just doesn't seem to be saying the right things.

He talks about starting all over again, for example. In a game like FF6, where things are mostly pretty straightforward, it doesn't seem like they'd have a character talking about ending his life by saying that. My impression was that he was simply going to leave the group to start out on his own and begin a new life.

"I will do this. Nothing in my life matters except this. No moment in my life exists except this moment. I am born in this moment, and if I fail, I will die in this moment." - Raistlin